Alwat; Another Forceful Surging Wave of Abaseen

Dr. Yaseen Iqbal Yousafzay

Publishing Date: Friday, October 14 2005

Author: Abaseen Yusafzay
Available: Haram Printers Jangi Mahalah Peshawar
Pages: 289
Price: Rs. 200

Pukhto is one of the very few prehistoric languages that could survive some very hostile turns of its thousands years long history. May be unlike Sanskrit and other prehistoric languages, Pukhto was not just a language but a practical code of Pukhtun's life as well that may have helped its survival. Or it may be due to the very determined and firm nature of Pukhtuns that whenever their language and culture were felt threatened they worked harder than ever to promote and strengthen the same to resist and nullify the hostile efforts. Along with the above strong reasons and many others, one very convincing reason for the long survival is the evergreen love of Pukhtun intellectuals, poets and writers who never felt tired to colour their mother tongue with the most beautiful colours they could find.

One of the outstanding quality of the 20th and 21st century Pukhtun writers is their change of direction from romanticism to national and human issues without sacrificing the art and taste of their poetry and prose. "How many of them are successful in this" is a difficult question to answer but there is no doubt in the success of Abaseen Yousafzay at a relatively young age than others. The founder of this school of thought is our great living legend Ajmal Khattak but after him very few could compose such a forceful poetry and Abaseen is certainly one of them. Abaseen Yousafzay has kept the religion content of his poetry very clear and stronger and is therefore, different from his contemporary nationalist poets who happened to be inclined towards secular ideologies.

Our age was very fortunate in having three great legends in the history of Pukhto poetry after Khushal Khan Khattak and Abdul Rahman Baba. The Pukhto Baba-i-Ghazal and Sufi poet Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari, the greatest Pukhto philosopher poet Abdul Ghani Khan and the founder of Pukhtun nationalist and humanist school of thought Ajmal Khattak. These three great poets although, led three quite different schools of thought but had one thing in common and that was the strong Pukhtunism accompanied by a deep sense of humanism. And probably this is the reason that every Pukhtun poet of our time tried to colour his/her poetry with nationalistic cum humanistic colours. Abaseen is no exception to this and his present collection indicates as if he has been influenced the most. Although, he hasn't yet reached his 50's and there is no doubt that the speed he is going forward with will lead him to a very unique and distinguishable position. The last three decades are termed as the worst ever time for Pukhtuns in the history of this nation and obviously, every sensible Pukhtun feels it. Abaseen has addressed these issues and has shouted very loudly from his heart of heart to awaken pukhtuns.

Alwat is just his second poetry collection. Pukhto poetry lovers were still in the welcoming phase for ghurzangoona and were enjoying its quality and taste that Abaseen launched his second collection which is much higher in theme and force than GHORZANGOONA. In the collection under-review, the subject of Pukhtun nationalism is very prominent and the sufferings Pukhtuns went through in the last three decades have not only been addressed and discussed but gives a new turn to Abaseen's poetry. Yes, it seems to have revolutionized the already dynamic personality of Abaseen. I feel short of words and time to review the whole book but after reading Abaseen's ALWAT, the readers will agree with me that the Abaseen of ALWAT is much different from the Abaseen of Ghurzangoona. I congratulate true Pukhtuns, my mother tongue and especially my homeland "Pukhto" for having a second Abaseen that would not pass by without revolutionizing our national thoughts and creating great awareness in the whole nation.

A glimpse of his new poetry can be seen from the following couplets:

Khwarey la Abseena da speen ghar * porey lambey dee
Da stargo na mey waakhla da zeegar porey lambey dee

Only flames are visible all the way from Abaseen up to the snowy mountain's peaks
All the way from my eyes up to my heart

Dunyaa pa khula da aman aman verd kawee lagyaa da
Da aman da kontarey pa wazar porey lambey dee

The world repeatedly and consistently asking for peace
But the feather of the peace's pigeon is also carrying flames with it

Ta cherta yey raa wooza ghurzangana Abaseena
Watan dey sho lataarh pa sum-aw-ghar porey lambey dee

Where are you? The violent surging Abaseen?Come out!
Your homeland is being burnt and everything is in flames

Pa her haalat key zarhgay jamaa lara
Meena hom na ghwarham pa swaal key raazee

(Always be self-sufficient,
I don't even ask for love as it is also a sort of begging)

Abaseen flows and never stops but feeling the nerve of the time, our new Abaseen has changed his line of action from surging waves (Ghurzangoona) to flight (Alwat) in the sky. In the dedication Abaseen says that he is Pukhtun because of Pukhto but I would like to add that whatever we have in Pukhto is due to intellectuals and Pukhtuns like Abaseen.

* A popular mountain in Afghanistan
** This review was published in daily the Statesman on 09/10/2005